Hard To Meow Anything
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Post-reveal. Adrien wants to confess his love to Marinette, so he takes some leaves out of a fairytale book to try and win the heart of his princess. Only problem is, not only are his attempts at wooing Marinette completely crazy, but a certain blue-haired guitarist, Luka, keeps getting in his way! Season 2 spoilers. Rated T for safety.


**Here's another one-shot. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but being patient for Luka's debut _WAS. A. CHALLENGE!_**

 **This is a one-shot based off of an episode from season seven of "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" called "Hard To Say Anything."**

 **Now, this** **is a post-reveal** **one-shot takes place AFTER Alya, Nino, and Chloé get their Miraculouses (and permanently, I might add). And WARNING: NICER CHLOÉ ALERT! I REPEAT: _NICER CHLOÉ!_**

 **And yes, the song "Battle for Sugar Belle" will be included, but with some obvious tweaks.**

* * *

It was early in the morning in Paris. At the Agreste mansion, Adrien was in his bedroom, getting ready to go out for the day. He had a day off from all of his obligations for once. He was combing his hair, and looking in the mirror.

Adrien soon took a silk ribbon out from pocket and he went over to his desk. There was a small bundle wrapped in wrapping paper on his desk, and he was eager to finish getting it ready.

"Adrien, are you sure about this?" Plagg asked, as he watched his chosen in concern.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Adrien said, eagerly tying a bow on the package with the ribbon. "Et viola! Perfect. She'll love it!"

"Adrien, I'm asking if you're certain because this is the fifth time this week you've gone to your Princess's place," Plagg said. "And every time, you bring her a present of some sort related to fashion design. First day, you brought her a new sketchpad and a pencil set from your father's line. Second, you brought her some expensive glass beads for jewelry. Next, you gave her some red satin. And just yesterday, you gave her a gift card to her favorite fabric store. But this blows all of those other gifts out of the water."

"Your point?" Adrien asked, as he put on some of his nicer casual clothes, and then put on a spritz of cologne that had scents that ladybugs were known to like, such as geraniums.

"She could get tired of you constantly coming to call on her," Plagg said. "And all of these gifts… Marinette's too modest to accept them."

"But she takes them anyway." Adrien said, as hearts began to flutter out of his head.

"Only because _you_ insist otherwise," Plagg said. "And honestly, I'm concerned you only like Marinette because she's Ladybug, not for who she truly is."

"Plagg… When she first defeated Stoneheart, I said that I'll love her no matter who she was under the mask. That hasn't changed," Adrien said, a romantic smile gracing his lips. "At first, it was hard to reconcile Marinette and Ladybug, but now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. In hindsight, I can't really imagine anyone other than Marinette being Ladybug. It's just… A perfect fit."

Hearts fluttered out of Adrien's head as goo-goo eyes formed on his face.

"Good to see that you're not confusing yourself," Plagg said, nodding in approval. He was proud that Adrien was learning to love every part of his Lady. "Now let's get going."

Plagg dove into Adrien's inner jacket pocket, while the latter ran downstairs to try and find the gorilla to take him to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Meanwhile, Alya and Chloé were walking through the streets in Paris with their kwamis, Trixx and Pollen. They were on their way to the Dupain-Cheng bakery to pick up Marinette for their "girls' day out."

When Alya's little sisters had gotten akumatized, Ladybug had given Alya the Fox Miraculous and had her help stop Sapotis as Rena Rouge. Unsurprisingly, Rena Rouge was a natural and she was a big help. Once that adventure was over, Marinette asked Master Fu for permission to let Alya have the Fox Miraculous permanently. Fu agreed on the grounds that Alya would only be called in as Rena Rouge when Ladybug and Cat Noir _truly_ needed backup that required the power of illusions. Since Marinette knew Alya was Rena Rouge, she felt that Alya had the right to know her best friend was Ladybug. It would have been unfair to her if Marinette kept her in the dark. Needless to say, Alya was shocked, a bit angry, and surprised that Marinette was Ladybug, but she took it very well. And since Alya was a big fan of the superhero genre, she knew the drill about keeping the secret on the DL. Once that was out in the open, the two of them became each other's secret keeper for their identities.

Much to Marinette's chagrin, however, Alya insisted on letting Queen Bee in the loop. The only real reason Marinette let Chloé borrow the Bee Miraculous in the first place was because both her father and her mother had been akumatized, thus she had a stake in the situation. That and there was just something so utterly _fitting_ about Chloé being compared to and called a queen bee. Marinette was prepared for Chloé to mercilessly tease her, hate her more than she already did, and give her more grief after finding out she was Ladybug. To their surprise, Chloé was actually very accepting of it. In fact, Chloé had newfound admiration and respect for Marinette after finding out the truth. After the ordeal with Style Queen, Queen Wasp, and Malediktor, Chloé realized how horrible she was, and how her actions and rotten behavior had caused so much trouble. She realized that in order to be truly worthy of the Bee Miraculous, she had to shape up, and hoped that Marinette would show her the way. She would still be petty and spoiled from time to time, but Chloé had matured a lot ever since then. She would insist on treating Alya and Marinette whenever she had the chance and had learned to be a lot kinder and actually _mean it_. It also helped that her kwami, Pollen was _not_ afraid to put Chloé in her place and make her tow the line.

Since then the trio of girls had become really tightly-knit, in spite of their past animosity towards each other.

This left Adrien as the only boy on the team. Luckily that was not meant to last. His best friend Nino had gotten the Turtle Miraculous. Master Fu knew that the threat of Hawkmoth was getting more serious, and since he was not capable of fighting anymore, he knew he needed a successor. So, he asked Marinette to give the Turtle Miraculous to someone she could trust. And since Marinette had learned that turtles were symbolic of protection and stability, she immediately thought of Nino. Just the fact that was a source of _stable friendship_ for Adrien was something to consider. That, and since she knew he and Alya were an item, if they were both superheroes, it would keep their relationship stable, too.

So, Marinette snuck the Miraculous into Nino's backpack, and then once he got acquainted with Wayzz, Marinette, Alya, and Chloé had brought Nino in on the secret.

"Today is going to be _so_ fab!" Chloé said. "I'll be sure to treat you two to the best day that money can buy!"

"Don't go overboard, Chloé," Pollen reminded, ever the voice of rationality and reality checker for Chloé. "And you need to remember to be respectful of others' opinions. You can't act all petulant if they don't like something."

"Fine," Chloé said, with an eye roll. "But screw clothes shopping! We both know that Marinette can do _so_ much better!"

"Amen to that, Chlo," Alya said, but then noticed something up ahead. "Hey, isn't that Adrien's limousine?"

The limousine pulled up to the bakery and then parallel parked in the road. Then Adrien stepped out of the back seat, his present in hand.

"What's he doing here?" Chloé asked.

"I know those two have been getting close since they figured out each other's identities, but did she make plans with him and not tell us? Knowing her, she probably forgot and double-booked by mistake…" Trixx said.

Alya pulled Chloé behind a pillar and put a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet. Chloé nodded, understanding the cue.

Adrien had hearts fluttering out his head again as he approached the bakery. He knocked on the door to the bakery, and soon, Marinette came out, giving him a smile.

"Oh, hi kit - er, hi Adrien!" Marinette said, stopping herself before letting "kitty" slip out. They had agreed to _never_ use their superhero nicknames for each other when out of costume, lest their secret be at risk.

Since she and Adrien had learned about each other, they had grown closer. Marinette had gotten a lot less awkward talking to Adrien because she was able to accept the fact that the two blondes were the same person. It also helped that after Glaciator, Marinette started to realize that Cat Noir's feelings for her as Ladybug were genuine. And she admitted to herself that there was something endearing about the goofy side that Adrien displayed as Cat Noir. As a result, she felt more confident and comfortable around her crush. However, she still had yet to tell him her true feelings.

For his part, Adrien had come to grips that Marinette and Ladybug were one in the same a lot faster. And the fact that it was Marinette was a pleasant surprise. It was a relief for him.

"Great to see you too, m'la – er, Marinette!" Adrien said, smiling and blushing. He mentally sighed in relief for catching himself.

"Come on in." Marinette said, as she held the door open for Adrien to come inside.

Once they were inside the bakery, Alya, Chloé and their kwamis lingered by the window to get a sense of what was happening.

"Why would he be here?" Chloé asked. "His dad has him on a very strict diet. Mr. Agreste would rip Adrien a new one if he was caught eating all of these carbs!"

"Let's keep watching." Pollen said.

"Thanks for coming by, Adrien." Marinette said. She and Adrien were standing in the middle of the bakery front-of-house, in front of the bakery cases.

Adrien chuckled a bit while blushing and shyly looking away.

"It's great to see you again so soon." Marinette said, as she ran a finger up Adrien's chest, only causing him to feel further affection for her.

"It's, um… I…" Adrien began. Marinette was truly radiant in his eyes, and he just wanted to hold her close and kiss her into oblivion.

"Yes, Adrien?" Marinette asked, curiously tilting her head.

 _'Oh, be still my heart! She's beautiful!'_ Adrien thought, as a thought bubble appeared over his head, and inside, his eyes had become hearts and there also hearts fluttering out of his head.

However, he cleared his throat, getting his bearings back.

"I have something for you." Adrien said, as he gave her the present.

"Another present, Adrien?" Marinette asked, taking the gift into her hands. "You shouldn't have."

"I couldn't help but think of you," Adrien said. "I hope you like it."

Marinette tentatively tore into the wrapping paper, and what she saw took her breath away.

"Red mulberry silk?!" Marinette gasped, before trying to give it back to Adrien. "But this is so expensive! I can't… I really shouldn't…"

"No, Marinette," Adrien said, as he pushed the bundle of silk back to Marinette. He looked her in the eyes, showing he would not accept her refusal to take the gift. "I want you to take it, and I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Oh, Adrien…" Marinette said, as she blushed and smiled.

That smile only made Adrien melt more. All he wanted was to just come out and tell her everything he felt.

"I couldn't design and make such a variety of clothes until recently," Marinette said, as she took out her phone to show him the photos she took. "Thanks to your gifts, I've been able to make so many clothes and accessories! Dresses with embroidered bodices, skirts with satin trim, purses with bead fringes…"

Adrien's eyes were alight with awe as he looked at the pictures. He was always impressed with Marinette's work, especially with all of the presents he had given her.

"I just wish there was a place where I could show it all off. My room can't hold every piece of clothing I make in there, after all." Marinette said, with a sad sigh and she put her phone away.

"Well, it's clear that Adrien _really_ likes Marinette's designs. Can't say that I blame him." Chloé said, not sure what the big deal was.

Alya gasped, a grin grew on her face, and she said, "Or Marinette _herself_!"

"What?" Chloé, Pollen, and Trixx asked.

"Check it out!" Alya said, pointing at the window.

Marinette had boxed up some treats for Adrien to give to Nathalie and the Gorilla. When she accidentally bumped into him, the box jumped out of her hands. She caught it without dropping any of the treats, and then she gave Adrien a giggle, a blush adorning her face.

Adrien blushed and also started chuckling, his heart squeezing with delight. He also rubbed the back of his neck, like he was prone to doing when nervous.

Getting a closer look, Chloé smiled and said, "Alya, I think you may be right! I think Adrikins has finally _FALLEN FOR MARINETTE_!"

 _"QUIET!"_ Alya, Trixx, and Pollen shouted, as Alya covered Chloé's mouth to get her to shut up.

Adrien soon came out of the bakery while carrying the box in his arms. His eyes were lovesick and hearts were fluttering around his head.

"Any cheese danishes in that box?" Plagg asked, more concerned about eating than getting back home.

"Hey, Adrien, over here!" Alya said, as she got Adrien's attention and waved him over to them.

"Hey Alya, Chloé," Adrien said. "Trixx, Pollen, good to see you, too."

"Hi, Adrien! Hi Plagg!" The two kwamis said in union.

"Um, Adrikins, I hope you don't mind, but Alya and I need to pick your brain a bit," Chloé said, as she approached her childhood friend. "It's a bit personal, but I expect an honest answer."

Chloé gestured to Adrien to lend her his ear. He leaned closer, and then Chloé asked just above a whisper, "Are you… In love with… Marinette?"

"So, you finally caught on, huh?" Adrien said, as he nodded. His cheeks bloomed over with a pink blush and his heart was beginning to pound faster. "Yes… Yes, I am."

Hearts began fluttering out of his head again as Chloé and Alya tried to keep themselves from squealing in delight.

"It's about time!" Alya said, smiling. "Nino and I have been trying to set the two of you up for ages!"

"Wh-What?!" Adrien asked, blushing even _harder_.

"But there's no need for it, now. So, have you broken it to her?" Trixx asked.

"Excuse me?" Adrien asked.

"Don't play dumb," Chloé said, playfully bopping the blonde boy on the nose. "You've told her how you felt, right?"

"Well... Not yet." Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

 _"ARE YOU KIDDING?!"_ The girls and their kwamis screamed in admonishment.

"You mean to tell me that you've kept your feelings to yourself for _this long_?!" Alya said, berating Adrien.

"Well, _yeah_ , but I'm not sure if she likes _both_ the alley cat _and_ the model. I want to make sure she loves both sides of me. And I want to prove that I adore her whether she's a clumsy girl wearing a grey blazer or the super heroine in red and black spots." Adrien explained.

The girls fell silent at this. Adrien had a good point. Was it _really_ love if you only loved one side of a person and not their entire personality?

"That's valid." Pollen said, with Chloé nodding in agreement.

Plagg flew out from hiding and gagged before continuing for Adrien.

"That's why the poor kid's been coming here almost every day with gifts for her. And they're all fashion-related gifts, too." Plagg said, shaking his head in annoyance.

"But you can't bottle up your affections for her! You gotta tell her how you feel!" Alya stated.

"And I'm _certain_ that she likes _you_ , too!" Chloé said, fully confident.

The main reason Chloé would torment Marinette in the past was because of her own feelings for Adrien, and that put the two girls at odds. However, Chloé slowly came to grips that while she and Adrien would always be friends, it would never go any further than that, so she accepted Marinette's feelings for Adrien and decided to move on. And it was no secret that Alya was Marinette's wing woman... To anyone but Adrien, ironically.

"Come on, tell her the truth! Come out and tell her, "I love you." She won't know otherwise." Alya said, encouraging Adrien.

Adrien, feeling a boost of confidence, smiled in determination before saying, "Okay, I'll do it."

Adrien saw the nearby flower shop. Alya took it upon herself to hold onto the bakery box while Adrien decided to make a move. He immediately ran in and within a few seconds, he came out with a single, thornless red rose. Alya nodded in approval.

"Just _one_ rose?" Chloé scoffed. "Hah! Marinette deserves _MUCH MORE_!"

"Chloé, sometimes simplicity gets the message across," Alya said, as Adrien came closer. "Go get her, Adrien!"

As Adrien once again approached the bakery, Chloé and Alya gave each other a fist bump and were waiting on the edge of their seats.

Adrien knocked on the bakery door again, and in an instant, Marinette opened the door. She smiled at Adrien, and in his eyes, she was glowing brightly with a subtle sparkle.

"Hi again," Marinette said. "Did Plagg eat all the cheese danishes already?"

"Well, no..." Adrien began.

"Then what can I do for you?" Marinette politely asked.

Adrien, hearts fluttering out of his head, opened his mouth to speak, and made to hand Marinette the rose. But...

Out of nowhere, Adrien was shoved aside and sent tumbling to the ground. He dropped the flower and it was now crushed under someone's foot.

Adrien looked up and saw a boy about his height. He had short, black hair, but it was dyed blue at the tips. He was wearing black stud earrings, a white and black-striped shirt, black, ripped jeans, a blue jacket, and had several wristbands. His fingernails were painted black. He also had a black and white guitar on his back.

Alya and Chloé were aghast at the newcomer's rudeness.

"Hey, Marinette," He said, as he waved to the girl, before moving his guitar in front of him. "I was on the Liberty writing up a new tune when I immediately thought about you. I thought I would show this music how great you are."

"Oh, thank you Luka!" Marinette said, a blush dusting her cheeks as Luka started playing a quiet melody on his guitar for her.

Adrien, shocked at this new development, was devastated. His face fell in despair. He stood up and started to walk away to go home. Adrien had come to the conclusion that Marinette was romantically interested in Luka instead of him after seeing that display.

"Oh boy... Adrien's got competition." Alya said, as the blonde walked past the girls.

Since they did not want Adrien to give up, the girls ran over to prevent him from throwing in the towel before the fight even started.

"Where do you think you're going, Adrikins?!" Chloé demanded, as she stepped in front of Adrien to stop him in his tracks.

"Back home, where else?" Adrien sadly said, angry and frustrated.

"Oh no, you are _not_ going to let Luka Couffaine come between you and your lady! You got to beat him to Marinette's heart!" Alya said, with Chloé and the kwamis in full agreement.

"Besides, this is _you_ we're talking about, Adrien! What is _Luka_ capable of that _you're_ not?" Chloé arrogantly sneered, confident that Adrien was a better match for Marinette than Luka.

"Try _that_." Plagg said, pointing back to Luka.

The trio looked back and saw Luka had put his guitar back on his back. He had said something that made Marinette laugh. He then sighed and said, "Marinette, you're definitely a sweet note in any of my songs."

Marinette blushed and giggled at Luka's one-liner. However, their unknown audience did not like it.

"Was that for real?" Alya said, her jaw dropping before face-palming herself. "That line was worse than one of your puns, Adrien."

Adrien sighed and said, "Marinette will _never_ go out with me. She's definitely got a thing for Luka."

"Not on our watch!" Trixx said.

"Leave it to us to help you, Adrien!" Chloé said. "We'll be your wing-girls!"

 _"NO LOVE POTIONS!"_ Adrien stated firmly. "I do _not_ want to go through that again!"

A past akuma they had faced was a man who tried to use a phony love potion on the woman he held affection for. Not only did it backfire, but the result was _so bad_ and _so embarrassing_ that he wound up getting akumatized into "Aphrodisi-Addict," a villain that took items that were known as Aphrodisiacs, such as oysters, pomegranate arils, and honey, and turned them into love potions that actually _worked_. The results of the potions caused some of the victims to do things that were romantic and endearing on one end, but on the other extreme, some results were flat-out _wacky_ and cringe-worthy.

To make matters _more_ complicated, Cat Noir's habit of shielding Ladybug blew up in his face in this particular fight. He took a love-potion blow for her, and she was the first person he saw after he was hit. As to be expected, his feelings for his red and black-spotted partner were only amplified. He would not get away from her and could only think about smothering her with kisses and affection. Needless to say, as much as Ladybug was not adverse to this, she knew that there was a time and a place for everything. She had no choice but to call in for backup.

Once the akuma was purified, everything was reset and returned to normal. Sadly, the poor black cat actually _remembered_ everything that went down, even _while_ under the influence of the love potion. Naturally, he was completely mortified. Thus, he _never_ wanted to experience anything similar in the future.

Chloé, Alya, and the kwamis merely burst out into laughter at this notion. Once they calmed down, Chloé spoke up.

"Don't worry, Adrikins! We're not Hawkmoth. As if we'd try something like _that_!" Chloé stated, with Alya nodding in agreement.

"Good. Besides, I know _just_ what to do!" Adrien said, as he took out a book... a collection of classic fairytales.

"Um... How are _fairytales_ going to help?" Plagg asked.

"Well, so long as I follow this book, a happy ending is definitely _in the books_." Adrien said, ending with a pun... Earning a face palm from _everyone_.

Adrien then read through the book and soon came upon one of his favorite scenes: an image of a prince with a shield and sword, fighting off a dragon that was holding a princess prisoner.

"This should work. The classic "rescuing a damsel-in-distress." Problem is, since dragons aren't real... Unless you count when Jagged Stone got akumatized and his crocodile became a dragon... Well, I'll have to figure out something else." Adrien said, sheepishly.

Alya and Chloé looked at each other and shrugged. They knew that Marinette was no D.I.D., and yet Adrien was planning on using such a scenario to win her over? Sounded like a recipe for trouble.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alya asked. "We all know Marinette can take care of herself."

"But even _Ladybug_ needs help every now and again." Chloé said, as she remembered the times that Ladybug needed help from other people during certain attacks.

"That's true," Adrien said. "But I still plan on making sure I can shine and be Marinette's hero."

"Adrien, you already _are_ , in a way." Trixx said, sweat dropping.

"But what do you plan to do? Waiting for an akuma to strike is pointless." Chloé said, crossing her arms.

"Chloé's right," Pollen said. "And waiting around for _something_ to happen is impractical."

Adrien merely smirked and looked at the group before saying, "Who said anything about _waiting_?"

Chloé and Alya once again gave each other uncomfortable looks and realized what was cooking up in Adrien's mind: he was planning to _stage_ something.

* * *

Marinette had stepped out of the bakery and put up a sign saying she would be back soon. She was walking down the street to go to the grocery store. Tom and Sabine had noticed that they were running low on some of their ingredients, so they asked Marinette to go and pick up some more.

Across the street in an alleyway, Adrien and Alya were hiding, lying in wait for the moment to strike.

"So you're basically having Chloé dress in dark, dingy clothes and pretend to steal Marinette's bag and supplies, and then you're going to step in and stop her?" Plagg asked.

"That's the plan," Adrien said, only to get skeptical looks from Alya and the kwamis. "Don't look at me like that. If I do this, I'm _definitely_ going to be her hero! After all, the knight in shining armor always wins the princess's heart in the end in fairytales."

"Not all fairytales have that formula, Adrien," Alya said, shaking her head. "There's "Beauty and The Beast," for starters."

Trixx and Plagg nodded in agreement.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Alya. I know this is going to work." Adrien said, as he peeked out from his hiding spot. He saw Chloé was waiting in another alleyway a few meters away from Marinette's position.

Adrien took out his phone, and texted Chloé a signal. Chloé, wearing a black hoodie, her ponytail down (with her Miraculous still in her hair, mind you), wearing black sunglasses, and other parts of her disguise, nodded in confirmation. She stepped out of the alley and started to approach Marinette. Pollen hid in a pocket.

Marinette, not paying attention to the girl approaching her, was surprised when Chloé passed her and snatched her reusable bag before running off down the road.

"What?! Hey!" Marinette shouted, as she started chasing after Chloé. "Get back here with my bag!"

Adrien took this as his cue and he stepped out of his hiding spot. He ran in front of Chloé and made to stop her. He steeled his features and made to tackle Chloé as she closed in. He knew to be gentle with her, since it was an act.

However, a foot stuck out and tripped Chloé. She ended up letting go of the bag and it started flying through the air. The blonde girl stumbled and managed to get back upright on her own. Adrien ran for the bag to try and catch it.

"I got it!" Adrien shouted.

As Adrien was about to snag the bag strap, a hand with black fingernails grabbed it. Adrien's jaw dropped when he saw that _Luka_ had caught it.

"Thanks for trying to help, Adrien, but I've got it covered." Luka said, before turning around and waling away, bag in hand.

Marinette had caught up to Luka, and she was catching her breath. As she managed to recover her air, she stood up straight and said, "Luka..."

"Here you go," Luka said, handing the bag back to Marinette. "Still, I didn't think someone would try to snatch your bag in broad daylight."

"Neither did I." Marinette said, still a bit shaken up.

"You were really brave to try and give chase to the thief. Lucky thing that he or she got clumsy." Luka said, chuckling a bit.

Marinette blushed, both at the irony and the fact that Luka said she was brave.

"So, where were you going?" Luka inquired.

"My parents saw that we were running out of some of our materials, so they sent me on a grocery run..." Marinette began.

"I can come with you and help you with the bundles if you'd like." Luka said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, thank you, Luka!" Marinette said, as she and Luka started walking to the store together.

Chloé pulled her hoodie down and stood up. She dusted herself off, grumbling at getting dirty. Alya came out from hiding, too.

"Why that little...!" Adrien growled.

"He _totally_ stole your thunder, Adrikins! I can't believe I'm saying this, but getting dirty like this _WOULD_ have been worth it if this stupid plan had worked!" Chloé complained.

Alya reluctantly agreed with the blonde, as Adrien kept glaring at the pair as they walked away.

"The saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again!" Time for me to step my game up!" Adrien said, balling his fists and growing a determined facial expression, with a hint of animosity towards Luka.

Alya, Chloé and the kwamis were once again anticipating another ridiculous plan and they were _not_ looking forward to it.

* * *

About an hour later, Marinette had finished helping her parents rotate their ingredients and was now waiting in the park. Adrien had asked Alya to text Marinette and let her know that she and Chloé were running late because Alya's sisters were up to their old antics, and she asked if they could rendezvous at the park. Marinette knew that Ella and Etta were mischievous - it was that very mischief that made Alya snap at them and cause them to become akumatized.

So, she waited for her friends. However, she started getting sleepy. Marinette yawned and soon laid down on the grass. She sighed contentedly before closing her eyes and she began to nod off.

Behind a nearby tree, Alya and Chloé looked at their gal pal before turning to each other. They both had uncomfortable facial expressions. The kwamis were also unsure about Adrien's upcoming move.

" _Please_ tell me you're joking with us about this next plan." Plagg stated.

"Nope, I'm being serious," Adrien said, as he came out from behind the tree. He had changed clothes and was dressed in a classic fairytale prince outfit, including a hat with a _synthetic_ feather in it. "After all, nothing beats romance like waking up your beloved with a kiss, right?"

Trixx and Pollen merely shook their heads while Chloé and Alya sighed in annoyance.

Adrien stretched and cracked his finger joints. Then, he made to saunter over to Marinette, whom he saw as his princess. Chloé snagged his sleeve to stop him, forced him to face her, and then she was glaring at him.

"Don't you even _think_ about it, Adrien!" Chloé said, hissing. "Kissing a girl to wake her up might be romantic in a fairytale or under _other circumstances_ , but in a situation like this?! It's going to make you look like a fool!"

"She's right. This is a bad idea." Trixx stated.

"Come on, what could go wrong?" Adrien asked, a smile on his face. He was certain that this would work, but everyone else was skeptical.

 _"A lot."_ Everyone collectively said, knowing a _multitude_ of negative outcomes that could happen.

Adrien, still undeterred, changed the subject and asked, "Plagg, is Luka anywhere nearby?"

Plagg turned invisible and started looking around. He turned to Adrien and said, "No sign of that guitarist."

"Good," Adrien said, sighing in relief. "Time to romance my lady."

Adrien started to walk over to Marinette. The girls just resigned themselves to the fact that Adrien was a _hopeless_ romantic. They knew this was going to end badly.

"We have _got_ to stop him." Pollen said.

"Yep. But he won't listen." Plagg admitted, agreeing with the bee.

Adrien approached slowly, and soon knelt down to Marinette. He tenderly stroked her head and hair and ran his hand through one of her pigtails. Smiling at his crush, Adrien started to lean in, puckering up for a kiss.

He could just imagine it: once their lips connected, Marinette would wake up and return the kiss. They would both fall into each other's arms, and then share a date along the Seine under the red-orange glow of the sunset... Assuming everything went well.

Marinette stirred, sensing something amiss. Her eyes slowly opened and then she saw Adrien's puckered lips closing in on her.

"Ack!" Marinette squeaked, caught off-guard with Adrien's forwardness. "What are you doing, Adrien?!"

Adrien refused to answer. His eyes were still closed and he kept trying to kiss her. Marinette, confused and _understandably freaked out_ , scrambled to her feet to try and get away.

As she backed up, Adrien stood up, a little perplexed as to why she would run away from him.

"Marinette, why...?" Adrien began, but Marinette kept making distance. She soon tripped on a stone and started to stumble and flail her arms.

"Whoa, I got you!" A voice said, as someone caught her by the arms. Marinette turned around and met Luka's blue eyes. "You okay, Marinette?"

"I'm fine. And hi again," Marinette said, smiling. "We've been bumping into each other a lot today, huh?"

"Yeah..." Luka said, before looking over her, examining something. "You seem a bit startled... And tired out. You must have been working really hard today."

"I sure have." Marinette said with a nod, not mentioning the reason she was spooked.

Luka looked behind her and saw Adrien in his outfit. He stifled a chuckle and then said, "Looks like someone sees you as a legitimate princess."

Marinette briefly looked back at Adrien, before returning Luka's gaze and said, "Yes."

"How about we get some ice cream? My treat for the princess?" Luka teased, legitimately asking Marinette out for ice cream.

Marinette giggled at Luka's joke, much to Adrien's distaste. His jokes _never_ went over well with Marinette, so the fact that his rival's sense of humor was something that Marinette appreciated just left a bitter taste in the blonde's mouth.

"Okay, I'd love to!" Marinette said, with a smile on her face.

If one listened close enough, they could swear Adrien hissed. He glared at the blue-haired boy as he was walking with Marinette to find André's ice cream cart.

In frustration, Adrien threw the hat off and grunted. The girls and the kwamis came over to the model.

"See, what did we tell you?" Alya said, scolding Adrien and shaking her head. The others were getting aggravated with Adrien's attempts to woo Marinette.

Adrien still was tuning the girls out. He was upset over his second failed attempt at winning Marinette over, and he was angry about Luka's unintentional interference.

"Alright, now I'm mad! Luka's timing may be on point, but let's see if he can beat me at _singing_!" Adrien said.

 _"Huh?!"_ Everyone said, incredulous.

"A romantic serenade for the girl I love will top _anything_ Luka can do." Adrien confidently stated.

Everyone face-palmed. Adrien _clearly_ had not learned his lesson yet.

* * *

After they had their ice cream, Luka walked Marinette back to the bakery. She was now working the counter again and serving customers. Her parents were out on deliveries and they would not be back for a few hours.

She and Tikki were organizing the desserts and checking the case.

"I wonder what's taking Chloé and Alya so long? It's not like them to be late, especially when the three of us are spending time together without the boys. And if it were an akuma attack, we would have been alerted about it by now." Tikki said aloud.

"I know," Marinette said, as she came out from the kitchen with a tray of cookies. She put them in the case, rotating the older ones in front and the fresher ones in the back. "And what Adrien pulled in the park was freaky... What the heck is going on?"

Tikki shrugged, not sure what to make of the events.

Outside the bakery, Adrien and the others were waiting for the right moment. Since Tom and Sabine were out of the bakery, it would be easy to go in and make a move without any parental interference.

"Adrien, you tried staging a damsel-in-distress scenario and _that_ didn't work out. Then you tried acting out "Sleeping Beauty" and _that_ fell through, too. And _now_ you're going to try singing for Marinette and hoping she'll swoon?" Plagg asked.

"Yeah." Adrien said.

"You _can't_ be serious, Adrien!" Chloé protested, at her wits' end. "If those two stunts didn't work, I can _guarantee_ that this won't, either!"

"I concur." Pollen said.

Adrien once again ignored the girls, and then started looking around to see if a certain Couffaine was in the vicinity.

"Good, I don't see Luka anywhere. And I've been practicing," Adrien said. "So, there's no doubt that I won't _sound_ like a yowling cat."

The girls sighed in defeat _and_ displeasure because of the cat joke.

Marinette was standing in front of the display cases and taking stock of what they were running out of so she could tell her parents what they needed when they got back.

Adrien snuck into the bakery, being sure not to alert his Princess. As soon as the door hit the bell, Plagg flew up and stopped the bell from ringing.

Pollen had snuck in through the back and killed the lights. Marinette, startled, looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. She turned around, and music started to play.

Adrien was standing in the dark, leaning against the wall, a leg crossed over the other, his hands in his pockets, and bobbing his head to the rhythm.

 _"We'll take a walk down by the river... Watch the sunset from the hill."_ Adrien sang. He looked up at Marinette from underneath his eyelids.

Marinette looked at him in surprise... As were Chloé and Alya, who were watching from outside the bakery and _expecting_ disaster to strike.

 _"We'll share a meal of love together... Let our love story take us where it will."_ Adrien sang, and Marinette merely gawked at him.

However, that gawk turned into a smile as she started to understand how genuine Adrien was. Chloé and Alya were surprised that serenading Marinette was actually _working_.

Adrien came closer to the pigtailed designer, and took her hand into his own. He got down on one knee, and continued to croon.

 _"Marinette, sweet as pie. You're a genius in design."_ Adrien sang, as he praised Marinette's talents and her sweetness, causing her to blush.

He stood up and looked her in the eyes. Pulling out another fresh rose and showing it to her, he sang, _"Amongst the thorns, you're a rose so fine."_

Marinette smiled and giggled at this comparison.

 _"And when patrol's done for the day, or when things are going fine... Won't you be there by my side?"_ Adrien sang, as he held Marinette's hands and pulled them closer to him.

Marinette's eyes became lidded, her blush became darker, and she started leaning in closer to Adrien. He started to mirror this and started leaning in to kiss her.

The girls were delighted _and_ shocked that it worked. And then they were watching, on the edge of their seats, waiting for Marinette and Adrien to kiss.

Just then, the fantasy shattered like broken glass as guitar music started playing.

 _"Oh, oh. Oh, ah-oh..."_ Another voice sang, as the guitar music kept playing.

Adrien let go of Marinette's hands and then the two of them turned to the entrance of the bakery.

Lo and behold, there was Luka. He was playing his guitar while looking at Marinette with interest.

 _"When you appeared before me, my heart stopped beating,"_ Luka sang, as he stumped his guitar before placing a hand against his heart. _"Stars crossed the sky to come see what I was seeing."_

He smiled at Marinette while disregarding Adrien's presence.

 _"You were the one who made me believe I could fly. Whoa, whoa, whoa."_ Luka sang, as he put his guitar back on his back.

 _"Birds could not sing a song that's as beautiful."_ Luka crooned, while the scene changed to him at the park, sitting under a tree, and a few birds were up in the branches, chirping along.

The scene switched back to the bakery, and Luka was approaching Marinette, a smile on his face.

 _"I'd do anything, that's irrefutable. Cause you are the sun painting my heart in the sky."_ Luka crooned, before drawing a heart shape in the air with his finger, and then winked at Marinette.

Marinette, feeling embarrassed and not liking where this was going, tried to make for the bakery door and get away. Adrien noticed and made to help her escape.

However, before either teen could make a move, Luka had beaten Marinette to the punch and then took her hand.

 _"Hey there, Marinette, whoa-oh, when will you tell me that you feel the same?"_ Luka sang, as he held Marinette's hands close to him. He gave her a wink, only for her to flush red in embarrassment rather than flattery.

Alya and Chloé had noticed the commotion and came inside. They were glaring at Luka for interrupting the moment. Adrien was upset that Luka had cut in, too.

 _'Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?!'_ Adrien thought, raising a fist in annoyance and irritation with the blue-haired boy. _'That Luka...!'_

 _"An angel behind the sewing machine,"_ Luka sang, as he gently rubbed the material on Marinette's blazer to emphasize his point. He then started took both of her hands and started to spin her around in a makeshift waltz. _"Or the sunshine, you know what I mean?"_

However, he noticed out of his peripheral vision that Adrien was charging in. Luka gently let go and started to back away, a little surprised at seeing Adrien so livid.

 _"Marinette, when I look in your eyes... I see the color blue..."_ Adrien continued, but he was starting to stumble on his improv. Since he had not expected Luka to interrupt _yet again_ , he was struggling with what to sing.

Marinette was dizzy and lying against one of the display cases. As she opened her eyes, it proved Adrien's point about them.

 _'Yeah, I have blue eyes, Captain Obvious. What's your point?'_ Marinette thought, a little annoyed at this. She had stood up and dusted herself off, before looking at Adrien. She was _not_ having any of this, and the girls could tell.

 _"And it reminds me of the sky above... Which is also blue."_ Adrien sang, still off-track, and thinking, _'I am SO messing this up!'_

Luka smoothly continued on his part, sliding in front of Adrien and continuing to play the guitar.

 _"Hey, hey, hey, yeah. Be my sugar plum, I will be your watermelon."_ Luka sang, before making eye contact with Marinette, who merely gave him a deadpan expression with the confusing analogy.

 _"Every time you smile, I can feel my heart a-swellin'! Blood is rushing from my head to my feet, yeah!"_ Luka sang, pounding against his heart again before pointing to his head and then his feet.

 _"I start movin' when I'm feeling that beat, yeah!"_ Luka sang, as he put the guitar on his back once more and did a few break dance spins and gestures.

Adrien, annoyed with Luka and tired of his interruptions, knocked his rival onto the floor and then took over.

 _"I've been writing this song for you, searching for the perfect rhyme,"_ Adrien sang to Marinette. He did not notice that she was upset with him for pushing Luka down, and she was _not_ impressed with _anything_ that was happening at that moment. _"For the words I want to say..."_

Alya and Chloé grimaced as they watched this go down, and Chloé face-palmed herself.

 _"Somethin', somethin', somethin', somethin'..."_ Adrien sang under his breath, before stepping closer to Marinette, giving her a smile, and finishing off with, _"Be mine!"_

Marinette gave Adrien an uncomfortable expression before Luka had once again stood up and went back at it again. He took Marinette's hand and started to bring her away from the blonde.

 _"Every day I see you, I know you could be the one for me,"_ Luka sang, as Marinette kept backing away, a flat-out _angry_ look on her face. _"Feel my heart a-beatin' like the rain upon a bumblebee."_

Marinette was just unamused. Or rather, she was pretty spooked and irritated.

"This is getting out of hand!" Chloé said to Alya, who nodded furiously in agreement.

 _"Don't you see that I could, uh-oh, uh-oh,"_ Luka continued, as he closed in on the girl. _"Whenever you are near me, I'm so... Uh-oh."_

Adrien jumped in front of Luka and sang, _"Marinette! Roses are red, violets are blue..."_

Luka moved past Adrien, still getting closer to Marinette, before crooning, _"Hey, Marinette! My love is burnin' hot like a cheese fondue!"_

Adrien could _swear_ Plagg was drooling at the prospect of cheese fondue.

 _"Marinette!"_ Adrien sang, as he and Luka started shoving each other. Marinette was looking at them in fear and discomfort.

 _"Marinette!"_ Luka sang, pushing Adrien away by the arm.

 _"Marinette!"_ Adrien vocalized, holding a bouquet of roses out to Marinette while forcing himself in front of Luka.

 _"Marinette!"_ Luka sang, tripping Adrien and presenting Marinette with a bouquet of geraniums.

 _"Marinette!"_ Adrien crooned once more, trying to get closer to the girl and have her accept his roses, while shoving Luka out of the way.

 _"Marinette!"_ Luka trilled, as he hoped Marinette would take the geraniums. He had climbed up onto Adrien and was now sitting on top of the model's shoulders, much to his chagrin.

"We gotta stop this!" Alya stated, and then the girls sprung into action.

Chloé and Alya immediately ran in to end it before the madness could go any further. Luka was _literally_ sitting on top of Adrien at this point, and the two boys were now towering over the pigtailed girl. Marinette's back was against the display cases and the energy around the room was rattling the stands and displays on the countertops. She was _clearly_ scared and confused, and was unsure of what course of action to take at that moment.

Chloé was pulling on Adrien's shirt while Alya was trying to keep Luka from falling.

 _"MARINETTE!"_ The boys sang at the same time, but in spite of the girls' best efforts, they all toppled over onto Marinette.

There was a loud crash, and several smaller bangs and clatters. When the dust settled, Chloé and Alya stood up and saw what had happened. They were covered in desserts, two of the bakery cases were toppled over, the baked goods had spilled out all over the floor, flour was everywhere, and Adrien, Marinette, and Luka were in a heap on the floor. The worst part was that one of Marinette's pigtails fell out, and some of the macarons were broken and all over her head and hair.

Luka and Adrien opened their eyes and saw what was going on, and they looked at each other in fear. They scrambled to stand up and they watched as Marinette, shaking, also slowly got up, her back still turned to the boys.

The girls cringed when they saw Marinette was trembling in fury. Alya face-palmed herself, afraid of what was about to happen.

 _"WHAT THE_ **HELL** _IS WRONG WITH THE TWO OF YOU?!"_ Marinette screamed, absolutely livid. She then rounded on the boys.

They were scared of Marinette's rage, but she had every right to be angry at that moment.

"I don't know _what_ gave you the idea that I'm the type of girl who _likes_ this kind of crap! But right now, I don't care! If you think I find this kind of attention appropriate, then do you _REALLY_ know me?!" Marinette shouted.

The boys' faces fell, knowing Marinette had a point.

"Since you can't answer me right now, then do me a favor and _LEAVE ME ALONE!"_ Marinette demanded, stomping her foot.

Luka got the message and made himself scarce. He left the bakery, depressed. Adrien, on the other hand, stuck around. He watched as Marinette fell to her knees and started crying over the fact that the bakery was a disaster.

"My folks are going to kill me..." Marinette sobbed.

Adrien, seeing how devastated she was, immediately left. He had a feeling his presence would only make things worse at the moment.

Alya and Chloé stayed behind, hoping to cheer Marinette up and make her feel better. Alya nudged Chloé and muttered, "Let's help her clean up."

"No way! I am _not_..." Chloé began, but then Alya cut her off.

 _"We're partially responsible for this!"_ Alya hissed.

"I have a _better_ idea," Chloé said, a smirk on her face. She held up her phone. "I'll get daddy to have some of the cleaning staff come here and give Marinette a hand."

Alya sighed and decided that Chloé was being generous for once. The former of the girls took her phone and snapped a picture of the disaster and sent it in a text to Marinette's parents that said, "This was NOT Marinette's fault, so please don't punish her. Chloé's sending help to get this place spic and span."

* * *

Marinette went up to her bedroom to destress. After _that_ fiasco, she needed to relax.

However, Chloé and Alya had noticed that Adrien and Plagg had gone MIA, so they started running around Paris to try and find him. He was not answering their messages, so they deduced he wanted to be alone.

Alya was in the park, looking around the fountain, when she saw a mop of blonde hair... And she could smell cheese. He was sitting on a bench, his knees were pulled up to his chest, and his head was hanging.

Alya took out her phone and shot Chloé a text that said, "Found him. In the park."

Within minutes, Alya was sitting next to Adrien, and soon, Chloé was running up to them.

"Sorry about what happened with Marinette... Even if your wooing tactics _were_ pretty stupid." Chloé said, but Alya glared at her for her tactlessness while Plagg was laughing his head off at it.

"It's fine," Adrien said, with a sigh, used to Chloé's lack of filter. He then picked up the fairytale book and was _very tempted_ to just throw it in the fountain. "But I don't get it. Gestures like this _always_ work in fairytales."

"You're forgetting something, though," Alya said. "Marinette's no fairytale princess. She's a _living, breathing_ girl. Selfless, hardworking, heroic, brave, amongst other things."

"What you _should_ have been doing was thinking about what would be meaningful for _her_." Pollen buzzed.

Adrien thought about what the others were saying. Mulling over their advice, he had an epiphany. He gasped with delight and then he said, "That's it! I know what to do! Girls, I'm going to need your help."

"Again?" Chloe asked, sighing. What did Adrien have in mind _this time?_

"Just trust me," Adrien said. "All I need is for you girls to keep Marinette busy."

"We _were_ going to have our girls' day when all of this happened... Maybe it's still salvageable." Alya said.

"Good thinking!" Trixx said. "That's the perfect thing to keep her occupied!"

The girls immediately made a dash for the bakery while Adrien ran off in another direction. He was confident that this plan actually _would_ work because he knew his audience.

Alya and Chloé had almost literally dragged Marinette out of her room to go to the mall for an afternoon of pampering. Chloé _insisted_ on treating the girls, especially since Marinette had quite a roller coaster ride with Adrien and Luka vying for her affections.

"What a day, huh?" Marinette asked, as she was getting a full-body massage in the mall's beauty spa.

She had a cucumber face pack on her face and her hair was wrapped in a towel. Chloé and Alya were flanking her on opposite massage tables and getting the same treatment.

"I know, right?" Alya asked, scoffing.

"Thanks for getting help to fix the bakery, Chloé." Marinette said, turning to the blonde.

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't want to get my hands dirty. But you _so_ needed this, Marinette," Chloé said. "Those boys were running you around all day."

"I don't understand what they were thinking..." Marinette began, sighing in exasperation.

Alya and Chloé looked at each other. They knew what was going on in Adrien's mind at the time, but they were also wondering what on earth he was plotting and doing at that very moment.

Adrien himself had gone back to the bakery. Alya had told Tom and Sabine what had happened and what Adrien had done. At first, they were upset with him _and_ Luka. Their antics had basically turned the bakery into a scene of the aftermath of a hurricane. However, since Chloé sent some of the hotel staff to clean the bakery and Adrien had come to apologize personally, they were willing to help him out with his plan.

"Adrien, where do you want this dress?" Tom asked.

"That's Marinette's best work so far, so put that one front and center." Adrien instructed as he was fiddling around with something down on the bakery floor.

"Adrien, dude, here's one of Marinette's bags." Nino said, as he brought in a purple, silken clutch bag with beads stitched in the design.

He had called in Nino and asked for his help, too. Nino, for his part, did not hesitate to jump in as Adrien's wingman and help set up the surprise.

"Thanks, Nino," Adrien said. "I'll put it on display."

Adrien took the bag and went back to messing around with whatever it was he was working on.

"Hopefully Marinette will like this," Nino said. "I _still_ can't believe those stunts you pulled."

"I know, I know," Adrien said, putting a hand up to stop Nino. "It was my bad. I should have stuck to the small presents for Marinette and then come out with how I felt sooner..."

Nino understood what Adrien was trying to say. He tried his best not to put Adrien down and make him feel worse than he already did. And if Nino knew one thing, mentioning Luka would probably not help matters.

Nino's phone beeped with his text ringtone and then he picked it up. It was from Alya, and she was asking for a progress report. Nino quietly replied that they were still working on the surprise and that he would let her know when they were ready.

Back at the mall, the girls had finished their massages and were now at the hair salon.

Marinette was reading a fashion magazine, and yet again it was one that featured Adrien. Her eyes were dreamy, but once she remembered what he had done earlier, she shook her head to rid her brain of such thoughts.

"Still thinking about Adrien?" Alya asked, her hair under the color dryer; she had decided to get highlights done.

"A little... Why would the boys do that?" Marinette asked.

"Marinette, you're caught in a _love triangle_ ," Chloé said, scoffing, as her hair was getting flat-ironed by one of the stylists. "Two boys liking the same girl? That's classic."

Marinette refused to comment as she just let the hairdresser dry her hair.

Out from her hiding spot in Marinette's purse, Tikki looked at her holder and wondered how Marinette would decide between Luka and Adrien. After all, Adrien was her partner in akuma-fighting _and_ they were growing closer. On the other hand, Luka had caught her eye and she was starting to feel torn between the two boys.

A dinging noise came from Alya's phone. She took it out and a smile graced her lips for a bit. She then turned to Chloé and said, "Girls, I'm kind of tired. Can we drop Marinette back off at her place when we're done here?"

"Good idea," Chloé said, understanding Alya's cue. "After this, I could go for some of the Dupain-Cheng's treats."

Marinette did not notice Alya wink at Chloé, who winked back. Her head was still in the clouds because of the entire love triangle between her, Luka, and Adrien.

* * *

Later on, when dusk started to come, the girls were walking back to the bakery. Nino was in front of the door. Noticing the girls, he dove inside the establishment.

"The designer has landed!" Nino stated, before ducking to hide behind the counter. Adrien stood up and got ready to make his move.

"That was so much fun..." Marinette said, as she opened the door and led the girls in. However, once she saw the blonde model, she scowled. "Adrien!"

Adrien stood off to the side and showed a small display of all of Marinette's best designs. In front of the table and dead center was a beautiful red, knee-length halter dress with black embroidery and beads on the hem on a mannequin. The purse from earlier was on display on the table on the left, and one of Marinette's necklaces was on a jewelry mannequin on the right. Several other designs were presented, too.

Alya and Chloé took a step back and let Adrien take things from there.

Marinette, in awe, looked at Adrien and said, "You put some of my works on display?"

"Yeah, I did," Adrien said, blushing. "Not by myself, though."

"And the display brings some of my projects out of my bedroom and into the public eye! I can't believe you remembered that I mentioned that!" Marinette said, her eyes alight with joy and about to cry happy tears.

"And I had Nino help me with a miniature photo shoot for these designs so you could make a digital portfolio for your work." Adrien said, as he watched Marinette jumping around and looking at the entire thing with glee.

"Not just that, Adrien!" Marinette said. "Now I have more room for my designs, and so I can make and design more! I've wanted to try jackets, petticoats, more dresses and jewelry..."

After her happy rant, she turned to the blonde and she started to approach him.

"Oh, Adrien... I can't thank you enough. I think that this is the best gift you've ever gotten for me." Marinette said, looking Adrien in the eye and giving him a smile.

"I-It was nothing... It's just I... Well, I... My heart... I-I..." Adrien stuttered, trying not to sound stupid in front of Marinette.

However, she put a finger to his lips to stop his rambling. She giggled and said, "I'm smitten with you as well."

Finally able to get his feelings across, and happy she reciprocated them, sighed with joy as he hugged Marinette close to him. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and made to move in to kiss her. Marinette leaned in as well, and then their lips connected passionately.

Alya and Chloé squealed with joy, causing the pair to break their kiss and look at them.

"That was the moment we've been waiting for!" Alya said, joyfully.

"Come on, Alya, you know how I've... Hang on... Have you two been in on everything that's been happening all day?" Marinette asked.

"Well... Yeah. We tried to discourage him, we swear!" Chloé said.

"And besides, Adrien learned his lesson, _right_?" Alya said, glaring at the model with a knowing look.

"Yeah, I know. I think what you said earlier was right: sometimes simplicity gets the message across." Adrien said, as he held Marinette's hand and smiled at her.

Marinette smiled back, blushing brightly and giggling. Adrien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, nervously.

Alya, Chloé, and Nino started to leave out of the bakery to give the two lovebirds some privacy.

As they turned around to leave...

 _"Marinette~!"_ Luka was outside the bakery, on his knees, playing his guitar and crooning Marinette's name.

The others were looking at him with pity. Luka was a great guy, and he would have been a good match for Marinette if she had chosen him, but Adrien won the battle for her heart. Thus, they decided to do the tactful thing and break the news to him.

"Sorry dude," Nino said, placing a hand on the guitarist's shoulder. "You're too late."

"Yeah," Chloé snidely replied, as Luka stood up. "Marinette's already chosen her boyfriend: Adrikins!"

Luka looked on as he watched Adrien and Marinette cuddle and rock back and forth together in the bakery. Luka, for his part, sighed in defeat. He walked towards the pair.

"Oh no..." Alya began.

Luka cleared his throat and got the lovers' attention. Adrien, noticing his rival, pulled Marinette closer and leveled a glare at the older boy.

"Congrats. Both of you." Luka said, a small smile on his face.

Adrien and Marinette looked at Luka, Adrien with surprise, Marinette with confusion.

"Take good care of her, Adrien," Luka said, holding a hand out to extend the olive branch. "If you don't, I'll be there for Marinette."

"Thanks, Luka," Adrien said, returning the handshake. "No hard feelings?"

"Not at all," Luka said, before turning to Marinette. "See you around, Marinette."

"Right." Marinette said, as she gave Luka a smile. She was relieved that everything worked out for the best.

Luka left the bakery with a smile, but it still had a sad hint to it. He was hurting inside, everyone knew that, but Luka would recover.

The trio of teens outside the bakery sighed in relief when they realized Luka intended to make peace instead of picking a fight.

"Well, it's about time those two got together," Nino said. "I was beginning to lose my patience."

"Same here," Alya said. "Now let's go leave those two alone."

Chloé and Nino nodded in agreement, as did their kwamis, as they watched Marinette and Adrien from a safe distance. After a few seconds, they took their leave to let their team leaders have some alone time.

"I'm so glad you're mine now, m'lady..." Adrien said, as he soon leaned down once more and kissed Marinette.

Marinette giggled and leaned her head against his chest. Adrien wrapped one arm around her shoulders and his other hand was wrapped around her head, holding her close to him.

"No more over-the-top gestures like that, okay?" Marinette said.

"Don't worry, I promise," Adrien said. "But can you grant me one wish?"

"What might that be?" Marinette asked.

"You want to go on a date tomorrow?" Adrien asked, blushing as he said so.

"I'd love to." Marinette said, delighted.

Adrien laughed as he lifted Marinette up into the air and spun her around. He was already making up plans in his mind for his first date with Marinette, and he was _definitely_ planning on keeping it simple.

Because like Alya said: sometimes keeping it simple was what made the point.

* * *

 **FINALLY! I was seriously losing my patience with the creators, because I've been waiting for Luka for MONTHS! Now, before we wrap things up, my main ships are Marichat and Adrienette, and then Ladynoir when one of the latter two happens.**

 **BUT I'm also starting to get into Lukanette, too! I'm hoping we get to see more Lukanette VS. Adrienette fan work with a jealous Adrien, OR Luka makes more canon appearances that has Marinette gushing over him, causing Adrien to get jealous! OOH, that would be something my fellow fans and I would eat up, I'm sure!**


End file.
